Bagging assembly

ABSTRACT

A bagging assembly for bagging bales of fibrous material is disclosed. The bagging assembly incorporates a chute defining a channel for receiving a bale, which is pushed there between by a stuffing assembly. Aspects of the bagging assembly include raising a bale using a bale elevator to a higher elevation position so that the bale could be stuffed by the stuffing assembly and using a bag retrieving mechanism for retrieving a bag from a bag location for use in bagging the bale.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No.12/397,138, filed Mar. 3, 2009 which claims priority from provisionalapplication No. 61/033,376, filed March 3, 2008, entitled BAGGINGASSEMBLY, from provisional application No. 61/118,330, filed Nov. 26,2008, entitled BAGGING ASSEMBLY, and from provisional application Ser.No. 61/118,175, filed Nov. 26, 2008, entitled BAG RETRIEVAL ASSEMBLY ANDBAG FOR PRESSED BALES, the contents of all of which are expresslyincorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

Conventionally, manual labor has been used to cover a bale of cotton orother fibrous material with a bag to protect the bale from damage orcontamination during transport, and some instances to comply with traderequirements. To bag a bale using prior art methods, one or, morecommonly, two or more workers must extend an open end of a bag over abale chute in preparation for the bale to be inserted through the balechute and into the bag. Additionally, the workers must hold the bag inposition while the bale is inserted into the bag, preventing the workersfrom accomplishing other tasks during this time. Further, if a bale isnot centered to enter the chute, the workers may attempt to move balesweighing up to 500 pounds, risking injuries and well as consuming time.Conventional bale bagging devices also contain numerous moving parts, onwhich workers may catch themselves or clothing, causing seriousinjuries, death, and/or property damage.

SUMMARY

A bagging assembly for bagging a pressed bale is provided including achute comprising two spaced retaining structures defining a holdingspace and a channel therebetween, a bag positioning assembly for placinga bag around the chute, and a bag stuffing assembly for inserting thebale into the chute, wherein the chute is movable relative to the bagstuffing assembly.

In another exemplary embodiment, a bag sealing assembly is provided forsealing the bag once a bale has been inserted therein. Additionally, thebagging assembly may include also a bag removal assembly for removingthe bagged bale from the bagging assembly and a bale positioningassembly to position the bale proximate to the chute before the bale isinserted into the chute and bag.

A further aspect of the present invention include a method for bagging abale. Said method comprising using a bag positioning assembly on thebagging assembly to locate a bag in a position to received the bale;inserting a chute into the bag; using a bag stuffing assembly on thebagging assembly to insert the bale into the chute; and removing thechute from the bag.

A yet further aspect of the present invention comprises a baggingassembly for bagging a pressed bale comprising a bale elevator forraising a bale from a first position to a second higher position; a bagretriever assembly for retrieving a bag for bagging said bale raised bysaid bale elevator; a separator for opening an open end of said bagraised by said bag retriever, said separator rotatable about an axis ofa rod; a chute for guiding said bale raised by said bale elevator intosaid bag retrieved by said bag retriever; and a bag stuffing assemblyfor pushing said bale raised by sale bale elevator into said chute andsaid bag retrieved by said bag retriever.

In still yet another aspect of the present invention, a bagging assemblyfor bagging a pressed bale is provided comprising a chute having areceiving end for facilitating insertion of a pressed bale into a bag;said chute comprising a one piece continuous center section having twoside sections extending therefrom; the two side sections being spacedfrom one another and each having a radially outwardly flared section atthe receiving end of the chute.

Still other aspect of the invention include a bagging assembly forbagging a pressed bale comprising a chute defining a cavity forsequentially receiving pressed bales positioned at a first elevationrelative to a framed assembly of the bagging assembly and being movablebetween a position closer to a first side of the framed assembly and aposition closer to a second side of the framed assembly. The assemblyfurther comprises a bag retrieval system for retrieving bags positionedat a second elevation relative to the framed assembly and a plurality ofbags for use to bag pressed bales located at a third elevation relativeto the framed assembly; and wherein the third elevation is lower thanthe second elevation.

Other aspects and variations of the bale bagging assemblies summarizedabove are also contemplated and will be more fully understood whenconsidered with respect to the following disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a baggingassembly according to aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an exemplary bag retriever of the baggingassembly of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3-7 are side schematic views of the bagging assembly of FIG. 1showing bagging steps of bagging a bale according to exemplaryembodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 8A-8C are schematic orthogonal views of an exemplary positioner ofthe bagging assembly of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 9-11 are side schematic views of the bagging assembly of FIG. 1showing bagging steps of bagging a bale according to exemplaryembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11A is a schematic orthogonal view of the positioner of FIG. 8A ina rotated position.

FIG. 12 is a schematic orthogonal view of a positioner and bag expansionassemblies according to aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 12A is a side view of the positioner of FIG. 8A having a bagattached thereto.

FIGS. 13 and 13A are a schematic orthogonal view and a side view,respectively, of a positioner disengaging from a bag according toaspects of the present invention.

FIGS. 13B and 13C are a schematic orthogonal view and a side view,respectively showing further bagging steps according to aspects of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 14 and 14A are a schematic orthogonal view and a side view,respectively showing further bagging steps according to aspects of thepresent invention.

FIG. 15 is an orthogonal view of an exemplary chute of the baggingassembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 is a side schematic view of the bagging assembly of FIG. 1showing a bagging step of bagging a bale according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are schematic orthogonal views of bagging steps ofbagging a bale according to aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 16C is a side view of a bagging step of bagging a bale according toaspects of the present invention.

FIGS. 16D-16K are schematic orthogonal views of a bag sealing assemblyand bag sealing steps according to aspects of the present invention.

FIGS. 17 a and 17 b are a side view and a top view, respectively, of anexemplary staple according to aspects of the present invention.

FIGS. 17 c-17 f are other exemplary embodiments of staples according toaspects of the present invention.

FIGS. 18 and 19 are schematic views of an alternative chute provided inaccordance with aspects of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1, a bagging assembly 10 in accordance withexemplary embodiments of the present invention is provided toefficiently and effectively insert an uncovered bale of fibrous materialinto a bag, seal the bag, and transport the sealed bag from the baggingassembly.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a bagging assembly10 includes a system area 12, which houses various bale baggingcomponents generally referred to herein as a housing, having a base 14,that may be a floor or a slab or a foundation, side walls 16, that maybe metal, plastic, wood or steel frames or steel beams, and a top wall18, that may be a roof of a building or an upper frame or beam. Althoughthe housing 12 represented in FIG. 1 is an open space, a confined spacefor containing the components of the bagging assembly 10 or a differenttype of housing structure may be practiced without deviating fromaspects of the present invention.

The bagging assembly 10 includes, within the housing 12, a bag retrievalassembly 40 for retrieving bags from a stack of bags 24, a bagpositioning assembly 80 for opening the bag and preparing the bag on thechute 122 (FIG. 5) to receive a bale, and a bag stuffing assembly 120for inserting the bale into the bag, as will be described in more detailbelow. Generally, the bagging assembly 10 operates continuously toretrieve a bag 22 from a stack of bags 24, position the bag to receive abale 26, insert the bale into the bag, and seal the bag. As shown in thefigures, the bagging assembly 10 may operate on more than one bale 26simultaneously, but, for clarity, a description of operation of thebagging assembly will generally follow a full “bagging cycle” of asingle bale from beginning to end. Optionally, the assembly 10 may beconfigured as a batch process and only work on one bale at a time.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bagging assembly 10 comprises first and secondbag bins 21, 23 configured for holding a bag stack 24 of a plurality ofbags 22 to be supplied to the bag retrieval assembly 40. Providing twobag bins 21, 23 allows the second bag bin to efficiently replace thefirst bag bin when the first bag bin is emptied thus allowing thebagging assembly 10 to continuously operate by using bags 22 supplied bythe second bag bin while the first bag bin is being restocked, i.e., tominimize or eliminate down-time. Thus, the first bin 21 may beconsidered an operating bin while the second bin 23 a backup bin.However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that thebagging assembly 10 may operate with only a single bag bin. In oneexemplary embodiment, when the operating bin 21 is emptied, it isremoved or moved out of the way and back up bin 23 moved over to assumethe position of the operating bin. In one embodiment, movement of thebins may be done manually, either with a lift truck, pallet jack or aforklift, or through automatic loading and unloading mechanisms (notshown, such as a movable platform, belt or conveyor system). Stillalternatively, the bag retrieval assembly 40 may pick up a bag from anyof the two stacks 21, 23 without having to wait for one of the bins tofirst go empty. In one exemplary embodiment, each bag bin 21, 23comprises side walls 27 for containing bags 22 therein, such as afour-sided box, or it may simply embody a palette. The bags 22 arestacked in the first bag bin 21 such that an open end 58 (FIG. 3) ofeach bag is orientated in the direction of the second bag bin 23. Bagsare normally folded at least once to simplify shipping to the user,however this is not required. As shown in the figures, the first bag bin21 supplying bags 22 to the bag retrieval assembly 40 may be positionedto abut a side surface of a bale guide 32. Alternatively, the bag bins21, 23 may be positioned at any location within reach of the bagretrieval assembly 40 and the opening of each bag may alternate in twoor more different directions so that the bag retrieval assembly 40 hasto move or re-position to grab an appropriate end of each bag. Mostpreferably, the bags are placed below, elevation-wise, the bag retrievalsystem 40. Alternatively, the bags are placed above, elevation-wise, thebag retrieval system 40. Still alternatively, the bags are provided inthe form of a rolled stack of bags.

With continued reference to FIG. 1 and also now with reference to FIG.2, in one embodiment the bag retrieval assembly 40 includes a moveablebag retriever 42 comprising a head adapted to retrieve the bag 22. Incertain embodiments, the moveable bag retriever 42 is a robot arm forpicking up and delivering bags to the bag positioning assembly 80 whilein other embodiments, the moveable bag retriever is a Cartesiancoordinate robot. Aspects of a robot arm and a Cartesian coordinaterobot for picking up bags are disclosed in Ser. No. 61/118,175, thecontents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for allpurposes. In an initial position, as shown in phantom in FIG. 1, the bagretriever 42 is located above the first bag bin 21 and configured to belowered onto the bag stack 24 to retrieve the bag 22 on top of thestack. The bag retriever 42 may move vertically on a guide, track, orrail, powered by, for example, a motor with belt or chain, or apneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. The bagging assembly 10 may becontrolled by a computer, vector drives, servo drives, electromechanical sensors and/or other common control devices known within theart. These controllers may be closely placed, producing a master controlcenter, or each device may have its own controller, wherein signalscoordinate functions between systems. The bag retriever 42 may bepositioned such that one edge of the bag retriever is generally alignedwith the open end 58 (FIG. 3) of the top bag 22 when the bag retrieveris lowered from its initial position to a retrieval position asindicated by the arrows. When the bag retriever 42 encounters the topbag 22, a bag attachment mechanism on the bag retriever secures the bagto a bottom surface 50 of the bag retriever. In one exemplaryembodiment, the bag attachment mechanism is a vacuum device capable ofgenerating an effective amount of vacuum so that as the bag retriever israised, the bag is held by vacuum force and rises with the device. Inone embodiment, a sensor is incorporated in the retriever 42 so that asit contacts the bag 22, a signal is sent to a controller to activate avacuum to enable the bag retriever to “grab” the bag. A plurality ofvacuum cups may be used to further ensure that a bag is retrieved. Itwill be appreciated, however, that suction cups, a perforated vacuumplate, or any other device suitable to allow the bag 22 to be removablyattached to the bag retriever 42 may also be used as the bag attachmentmechanism instead of or in addition to a vacuum device. For example,articulating fingers mounted on a robotic arm may be used to grab theindividual bags or alternatively a Cartesian coordinate robot may beused as disclosed in provisional application Ser. No. 61/118,175.

With reference now to FIG. 3, once the bag 22 has been secured to thebag retriever 42, the bag retriever retreats up to its initial position,thereby lifting the bag from the bag stack 24. As the bag retriever 42ascends, a bale elevator 45 simultaneously descends from an upperdelivery position (shown in phantom) to a lower receiving position asindicated by the arrows. In one embodiment, a scissor lift mechanismwith a support surface may be used to raise and lower the bales. As oneof ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, a hydraulic, pneumatic, orelectro-mechanical cylinder or motor with a belt/chain may also be usedto raise or lower the support platform and the bale elevator 45, maymove along rails, guides, tracks, or other suitable transportationmeans. In one exemplary embodiment, the bale elevator 45 is configuredto stop at multiple positions on its way to an upper delivery positionto allow operation on the bale before it is bagged, including grading,moisture testing, sample cutting, sample pulling, sizing, checking formissing bale ties, and other operations necessary for the storage,marketing, and protection of the product. Thus, an aspect of the presentinvention is a bale bagging assembly comprising a bag retriever movablypositioned within a framed structure of the bagging assembly at a firstelevation; and wherein a plurality of bags are positioned below the bagretriever at a second lower elevation.

In one exemplary embodiment, a blade or roller knife, like a pizza-piecutter, protruding a set amount from a base position may be used to cutthe bale as the bale is raised. As one of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate, any suitable device to move the blades vertically and/orhorizontally over the bale to effectively cut the sample could be used.Still furthermore, the blades may be powered to provide addedtranslating or rotating capability for cutting or sawing type motion.Once the strapped bale is cut, the cut sample or samples may be grabbedand processed in the manner disclosed in Provisional Application No.61/023,812, entitled BALE SAMPLER, filed Jan. 25, 2008, the contents ofwhich are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.The mechanism for grabbing the cut sample(s), as taught in the '812application, may be placed at a location in the bagging assembly so thatthe cut samples are grabbed prior to the stuffing assembly 120 pushingand stuffing the strapped bale into a bag for bagging.

In the lowered receiving position, the bale elevator 45 is located toreceive a bale 26 (FIG. 5) from a bale conveyor, or another baletransport means such as a forklift or a hand truck. As shown in FIG. 3,the bale elevator 45 is positioned between rails 46 of a bale conveyorsuch that the bale conveyor can transport the bale 26 directly onto thebale elevator (FIG. 5). In one exemplary embodiment, the support surfaceof the bale elevator 45 comprises a generally rectangular platform witha length and width sized to sufficiently support a conventional bale 26.However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that aspecific surface area of the bale elevator 45 is not critical as long asthe bale elevator can support a bale 26. In one exemplary embodiment,the bale may be delivered by external conveyer to the raised position,eliminating the need for a bale elevator 45.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a lower bag separator 48 is located generallyaway from a line of movement of the bag retriever 42 during theretrieving action of the bag retriever, such as in a stowed position(shown in phantom) near the second bag bin 23. The lower bag separator48 comprises a head and is laterally moveable on a swing arm, a track,or guide between its stowed position and a use position. Further, thelower bag separator 48 has a bag attachment mechanism, such as a vacuum,suction cups, or any other suitable attachment device, similar to thebag retriever 42. When the bag retriever 42 returns to its initialposition with a bag 22 attached to its bottom surface 50, the lower bagseparator 48 moves laterally from its stowed position to its useposition such that it is spaced from, but generally aligned with the bagretriever 42.

With reference now to FIG. 5, when the lower bag separator 48 reachesits use position, the bag retriever 42 having the bag 22 attached to itsbottom surface 50 is lowered toward the lower bag separator, sandwichingthe open end 58 of the bag 22 between the bottom surface of the bagretriever and a top surface 52 of the lower bag separator 48. With thebag retriever 42 and the lower bag separator 48 in this configuration, acontroller activates the bag attachment mechanism on the top surface 52of the lower bag separator 48 to allow the lower bag separator to attachto the open end 58 of the bag 22. Movement of the lower bag separator tothe used position and subsequent movement of the bag retriever may beimplemented using a motorized drive chain or a piston cylinder andthrough a timer, a proximity switch, a magnetic switch or other devicesknown in the art can be located and properly sequenced to perform thenecessary tasks. In an alternative embodiment, a lower bag separator isnot used. Instead, a blast of air or gravity is relied on to permit thelower edge of the bag opening to drop or open to accommodate the arm ofthe bag positioning assembly, as further discussed below. An exemplaryembodiment in which a lower bag separator 48 is not used is disclosed inprovisional application Ser. No. 61/118,175, the contents of which werepreviously incorporated by reference.

With reference now to FIG. 6, when the open end 58 of the bag 22 isattached to both the bag retriever 42 and the lower bag separator 48,the bag retriever 42 returns to its initial position, thus separatingthe two sides 54 of the bag and expanding its open end 58. In oneembodiment, only part of the open end is opened by the bag retriever 42and the lower bag separator, i.e., the open end is only partially openedby the device. Thus, if the open end has a width X, the opening is X-Y,which is a smaller increment than X. In one exemplary embodiment, theopen end 58 is expanded enough to allow a separator 81 (FIG. 7) to beinserted into the opening of the bag, as described in more detail below.Specifically, the open end 58 of the bag may be opened by an amount in avertical direction approximately equal to the gap defined by the bagretriever 42 and the lower bag separator 48 (FIG. 6).

As also shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bagging assembly 10 includes a pairof opposing bale guides 32 forming a channel 33 through which the baleelevator 45 travels. In one exemplary embodiment, the bale guides 32 areattached to and protrude from a side wall of the housing 12. Each baleguide 32 comprises an angled interior side wall 34 angled towards thechannel 33 such that a width of the channel between the bale guidesnarrowingly tapers in a direction of the top wall 18 of the housing toalign the bale as it is raised by the bale elevator. Alternatively or inaddition thereto, a second set of bale guides are incorporated in atraverse position to align the bale along the transverse direction.Still alternatively, the assembly does not incorporate any guides andinstead rely on a worker or an attendant to manually straighten thebale.

With further reference to FIG. 6, the bale elevator 45 ascends upwardfrom its receiving position to an intermediate position defined in oneexemplary embodiment as when a top surface 28 of the bale 26 isgenerally aligned with a top surface 30 of bale guides 32. Moregenerally, in the intermediate position, the bale 26 does not interferewith movement of a chute 122 for bagging another bale that haspreviously been raised for bagging, as will be described in more detailbelow. Thus, an aspect of the present invention is a method foroperating a bale bagging assembly comprising the step of raising apressed bale from a first position to a higher intermediate position,the higher intermediate position being a position in which the uppersurface of the pressed bale is lower, elevation-wise, than a traversingstuffing assembly.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8A-8C, the bag positioning assembly 80includes a separator 81 having two substantially identical positioningarms 82 attached along rotatable guide rods 86, the positioning armseach having a generally U-shaped configuration in which an upper sectionis attached to the rotatable rod 86 and a lower section or operatingfinger 84 is used to fully open the bag, as further discussed below. Asshown in FIGS. 7, 8A and 8B, the separator 81 moves from an initialposition (FIG. 8A) to an inserted position (FIG. 8B) wherein theoperating fingers 84 penetrate the open end 58 of the bag 22 that hasbeen opened by the bag retriever 42 and the lower bag separator 48, oralternatively by a robot arm or a Cartesian coordinate robot incombination with gravity or a burst of air. In a preferred embodiment,the two arms 82 come together so that they touch or almost touch in theinitial position to present a relatively small profile to facilitateinsertion into the open end of the bag. In one exemplary embodiment,carriages 201 located on opposing sides of the bag positioning assembly80 provide support for the guide rods 86, a motor 202 and belt 203, andhydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 200 for laterally moving thepositioning arms 82, as described in more detail below. The carriages201 are slidable along a track 204 to move the bag positioning assembly80 from the initial position to the inserted position. Once theseparator 81 is in the inserted position, the positioning arms 82 areseparated along the guide rods 86 such that the positioning arms abutopposite sides 54 of the bag 22 in an engaged position, as shown in FIG.8C. In the engaged position, the bag 22 is tensioned between thepositioning arms 82 such that the bag can be manipulated by theseparator 81 without disengaging from the separator. In one exemplaryembodiment, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 200 (FIG. 8A) move the twoarms 82 together and apart along the guide rods 86. Alternatively, thearms 82 may be separated and/or brought together by, for example, one ormore motorized acme threaded rods, or a rack and gear configuration.Thus, another aspect of the present invention is a bale bagging assemblycomprising a bag positioning assembly comprising a separator, whereinsaid separator comprising two displaceable arms configured to move awayfrom one another to place an open end of a bag in tension.

With reference now to FIGS. 9-11A, the bag attachment mechanisms on thebag retriever 42 and on the lower bag separator 48 are deactivatedfollowing positioning of the positioning arms 82 against the two sidesof the bag (FIG. 8) with sufficient force so that the bag does notunintentionally separate from the separator 81. It is also possible toexpand the position arms 82 outward inside the bag until they come to anexternal ‘outside’ plate or stop to then pinch or pin the bag betweenthe positioning arms and the stops. This would prevent the bag fromslipping off of the arms. The lower bag separator 48 then returns to itsstowed position (FIG. 9) and the separator 81 returns to its initialposition (FIG. 10) on carriage 201 with the bag 22 engaged theretothereby moving the bag to the left of FIG. 9. Note that left and rightlocations denote two distinct positions, such as a first location orposition compared to a second location or position. In one embodiment,the separator 81 is moved sufficiently to the left of FIG. 1 inreturning to its initial position so that the bag is unfolded from itsfolded position when located on the bin. From its initial position, theguide rods 86 (FIG. 8C) are rotated 180 degrees along their longitudinalaxis on pivots mounted on carriages 201 (FIGS. 11 and 11A) by the motor202 and belt 203, thereby rotating the separator 81 so that the open end58 of the bag faces the chute 122 such that a lower side of the bag isgenerally aligned with the lower edge of the chute 122. Rotation of theguide rods 86 is accomplished in one exemplary embodiment with the motor202 and the belt 203, but in alternate embodiments, a rack and gear,pneumatic or hydraulic rotator may also be used.

With reference now to FIGS. 12-13A, an upper bag expansion assembly 90includes a plurality of upper bag grippers 205 spaced along a rod 212supported by upper bag expansion arms arms 214. Similarly, a lower bagexpansion assembly 92 includes a plurality of lower bag grippers 206spaced along a rod 216 supported by lower bag expansion arms 218. Theseparator 81 advances along the track 204 toward the upper and lowerexpansion assemblies 90, 92. The relative positions of the opening ofthe bag and the grippers 205, 206 are such that the upper and lower baggrippers 205, 206 engage the upper and lower sides of the bag 22 betweenthe two positioning arms 82 (FIG. 12A) as the separator move toward thegrippers. In one embodiment, one or more sensors (not shown) are used todetect the approaching bag 22 to then stop the advancing motion andtoggle the grippers 205, 206 to initiate gripping. However, as one ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate, other means could be used toattach the bag to the expansion assemblies 90, 92, such as a vacuumsystem. When the upper and lower bag grippers 205, 206 are attached tothe bag 22, the positioning arms 82 move toward each other slightly todisengage from the bag, i.e., to release pressure on the sides of thebag. The separator 81 then continues to slide toward the chute by adistance adequate to allow the operating finger 84 of each positioningarm to exit the end of the bag (FIGS. 13 and 13A). In anotherembodiment, the separator 81 may continue to advance towards the chuteto separate from the bag without having to first move the positioningarms 82 together since the width of the bag will reduce when the openingis opened by the upper and lower expansion assemblies and thereforeshould not cause interference. In one embodiment, the grippers 205, 206may incorporate frictional features, such as rubber inserts, roughenedplastic pieces, etc., to provide a firmer grip around the opening of thebag.

With reference now to FIGS. 13B and 13C, the upper expansion assembly 90is rotated upwardly towards the top wall 18 to a raised position and thelower expansion assembly 92 is rotated downwardly to a lowered positionto widen the open end 58 of the bag 22 so that the bag can be positionedover the chute 122. Simultaneously, the positioning arms 82 move alongthe guide rods 86 to their full expanded position such that when theseparator 81 moves away from the bale guide 32 and is rotated back toits initial position, the arms 82 do not interfere with or becomeensnared on the bag 22.

The bag stuffing assembly 120 will now be described with reference toFIGS. 14-15. The bag stuffing assembly 120 comprises the chute 122moveable into the bag 22 to expand the bag, thereby more easily allowingthe bale 26 to be inserted into the bag. Alternatively, the chute may bestationary and the bag moved over the chute. More generically, the chuteis located inside the bag. With reference specifically to FIG. 15, inone exemplary embodiment, the chute 122 comprises a base wall 130 and apair of side walls 132 extending from the base and forming an open-endedchannel 134 therebetween. A ledge 136 may extend orthogonally from a topof each side wall 132 partially across a top of the channel to supportpart of the bag as the bag is placed there over. The channel 134 definedby the base wall 130, side walls 132, and ledge 136 is dimensioned tohouse a bale 26 therein. A bale receiving area 138 is located at aproximal portion of the chute 122 wherein receiving area sides walls 139extend outwardly from the side walls 132 to provide a shoulder 141 and awider channel between the side walls that acts as a funnel to direct thebale into the channel 134. Additionally, a pair of spaced parallelrotatable bars 142 extend between the receiving area side walls 139 tofacilitate insertion of the bale into the chute, i.e., the bars rotateas the bale is slid over them. A pair of spaced ribs 144 may extendalong an exterior of the receiving area side walls 139 to provideadditional resistance to absorb the impact of a bale 26 as the bale ispushed into the chute 122, as will be described in more detail below. Inanother exemplary embodiment, the ribs 144 are horizontally rotatablymounted on receiving wall 139, permitting the side walls 132 to berotated toward or away from each other. Rotating the side walls 132toward each other would ease placing the chute 122 in to the bag 22. Thebale 26 would expand the side walls 132 into the bag as the bale 26 isforced into the chute 122. Also, if the bale 26 is larger than astandard bale, the rotation of the side walls 132 would allow the bale26 to stretch the bag by over-expanding the side walls 132. Although atypical bale chute is described herein, the chute 122 may embody anysuitable configuration, such as a single piece composed of multiplelongitudinal rods or plates comprising a soft piece of plastic orfabric. For example, a single piece chute as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19may be used, as further discussed below. Still further, any device thatwould allow the bag 22 to be pulled onto the bale 26 while keeping thebag from excessive dragging forces on the surfaces of the bale may beused.

With reference again to FIG. 14 and also to FIG. 14A, the chute 122 ismounted on a rail 150, preferably one on each side wall of the chute, tobe moveable from an initial position (shown in phantom) to a loadedposition at least partially inside the bag in which at least some of theside walls 132 of the chute are located within the bag 22 and theshoulder 141 generally abuts the open end of the bag. In the loadedposition, the base wall 130 of the chute 122 is located proximate centersupport 224 such that when the chute is removed, the bagged bale 26 willrest on the center support. Although the side walls 132 are of a lengthsuch that they extend significantly within the bag 22, it is notnecessary for the chute 122 to extend into an entire length of the bagto affect its intended purpose. Rather, the bale 26 enters the bag withenough speed to expand a portion of the bag that may not have beenexpanded by the chute 122. However, even when moving at a slower speed,the size of the bale relative to the size of the bag will cause the bagto expand.

With reference now to FIG. 16-16C, as the chute 122 moves from itsinitial position to its loaded position, the bale elevator 45 ascendsfrom its intermediate position to its upper delivery position. Thus, thechute may be viewed as an expander for expanding the bag and serves as afunnel to allow the bale to be stuffed into the bag. Additionally, itsmovement over to the loaded position provides clearance or space for theelevator to raise the bale. A stuffing arm assembly 146 is used to stuffthe bale into the chute. In one exemplary embodiment, the stuffing armassembly 146 comprises a combination motor, gear and chain system andconfigured to drive a generally L-shaped bracket. The L-shaped bracketis movable along a rail 150 extending along the top wall 18 housing 12.With reference again to FIGS. 1 and 3, the stuffing arm assembly 146pushes the bale 26 from the bale elevator 45 through the bale receivingarea 138 and into the channel 134 of the chute 122 (FIG. 16B), such thatthe entire bale is within the bag. With reference to FIG. 16C, once thebale 26 has been bagged, the chute 122 retreats to its initial position,to the right of FIG. 16C, while the stuffing arm remains in place toprovide an opposing force against the retracting chute. When the chute122 retreats to its initial position, the bagged bale 26 rests on therear support 222 and a center support 224 so that the open end of thebag can be stapled closed.

In another exemplary embodiment, the chute 122 may be substantiallystationary and the upper bag expansion assembly 90, and the lower bagexpansion assembly 92, would be movable along a track, guide, or othermeans to pull the bag onto the chute. Once the bale 26 has been pushedinto the bag, the bale pusher 146 would push the bale out of the chute122, with the upper and lower expansion arms 90, 92, moving along atrack or guide to follow the bale while continuing to grip the edge ofthe bag. Once clear of the chute, the stuffing arm assembly 146 wouldretract and the bag could be closed as described herein.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, the bale 26 may be substantiallystationary and the upper bag expansion assembly 90, and the lower bagexpansion assembly 92, would be movable along a track, guide, or othermeans to pull the bag onto the chute 122. The chute 122 and the bag,held in place by the upper and lower expansion arms 90, 92, would movetogether to pull the bag onto the bale 26, held in place by the stuffingarm assembly 146. The chute may then be separated from the bag while theupper and lower expansion arms 90, 92, remain attached to the bag toallow sealing of the bale as described herein once the stuffing armassembly retracted.

In still another exemplary embodiment, the chute assembly 122 may moveinto the bag expanded by the upper and lower expansion arms 90, 92, thenmove over the bale 26, pulling the bag onto the bale 26 with theexpansion arms following the bag. Then the bale may be pushed out of thechute 122 by the stuffing arm assembly 146, with the expansion armsfollowing the bag and bale. Once the bale has exited the chute, theupper and lower expansion arms 90, 92, remaining attached to the bag onthe bale, the stuffing arm assembly 146 may retract to allow the bag tobe sealed as described herein.

With reference now to FIGS. 16D-16K, a sealing or enclosing assembly 160for closing the open end of the bag 22 is provided in accordance withaspects of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 16D, a pair ofopposite sealing plates 162 is laterally movable to engage an open end58 of the bag 22, which is still held open by the upper and lowerexpansion assemblies 90, 92. In one exemplary embodiment, the sealingplates 162 are generally configured to have a height substantially equalto or slightly smaller than the height of the bale 26. A leading edge164 of each sealing plate 162 may be tapered to reduce the likelihoodthat the sealing plate will tear the bag 22 during the sealing process,as described in more detail below. Additionally, each sealing plate 162contains a notch or a hole 166 through which a staple 154 may beinserted during the sealing process. The stuffing arm assembly 146includes a base arm 168 extending from the rail 150 (FIG. 16) in a firstdirection for moving the stuffing arm assembly, a cross arm 170extending generally perpendicularly to the base arm from an end of thebase arm in a second direction, and a pair of staplers 172 extendingfrom the cross arm in a third direction. The staplers 172 are adapted toreceive a staple magazine 174 containing a staple supply. Alternatively,a single staple may be used with each stapler, one at a time, instead ofa magazine. Additionally, the staplers 172 may serve to stuff the baleinto the bag or be mounted on the stuffing arm assembly 146 as describedabove.

Operation of the sealing assembly 160 will now be described withreference to FIGS. 16D-16K. Generally, the open end 58 of the bag isfolded similarly to wrapping a box with wrapping paper. Morespecifically, as shown in FIG. 16D, the upper and lower bag expansionassemblies 90, 92 are attached to edges of the bag 22 to provide an openend 58 through which the bale 26 has been inserted. The sealing platesare located laterally from the bag 22 generally aligned with an end ofthe bale proximate the open end 58 of the bag. Although omitted forclarity, the sealing plates 162 are laterally movable toward and awayfrom the bag 22 on, for example, rails, guides, a track, or other knownmechanical attachment devices. With reference now to FIG. 16E, thesealing plates 162 are moved toward each other such that the leadingedge 164 of each plate contacts the side of the bag 22 and folds itaround the bale and toward a center of the bag. In one exemplaryembodiment, as the sealing plates 162 fold the sides of the bag 22inwardly, the outermost upper and lower bag grippers 205, 206 are openedto release their grip on the bag to allow a sufficient amount of the bagto be folded, while the inner upper and lower bag grippers maintain agrip on the bag. Further, the sealing plates 162 may be moved until theleading edges 164 on each plate abut each other and the notches 166 forma single opening in substantially a center of the edge of the bag 22. Asshown in FIG. 16F, the upper bag expansion assembly 90 is moved from araised position to a lowered position such that a top edge 176 of thebag 22 is folded over the sealing plates, and more particularly, overthe notches 166 in the sealing plates. With reference to FIG. 16G, theupper bag grippers 205 are released from the bag 22 and the upper bagexpansion assembly 90 is moved back to the raised position as the lowerbag expansion assembly 92 is moved from a lowered position to a raisedposition, folding a bottom edge 178 of the bag over the sealing plates162 and over the notches 166 in the sealing plates.

As shown in FIG. 16H, the stuffing arm assembly 146 is then moved towardthe bag 22 and the staplers 172 are aligned with the notches 166 locatedbetween folded sides of the bag, which as previously disclosed may becircular or have other shapes instead of notches. In one exemplaryembodiment, each stapler 172 inserts one staple into the bag 22.However, one of skill in the art will appreciate that only one staplemay be used, or that more than two staples may be used. With referencenow to FIGS. 16I-16K, the stuffing arm assembly 146 retreats from thestapled bale 22 (FIG. 16I), the lower bag grippers 206 are opened torelease their grip from the edge of the bag, and the lower bag expansionassembly 92 is moved to the lowered position (FIG. 16J), and the platesare moved laterally outwardly to be disengaged from the bag 22. Once thebag has been sealed as described above, the bag may be pushed by the bagstuffing assembly 146 out of the bale bagger onto a conveyor from whereit can be further transported.

With reference now to FIGS. 17 a-17 f, exemplary staples 154 a-154 f foruse with the stapling assembly 152 are shown. Staple 154 a will bedescribed in detail, but it will be understood that although certaindimensions of the staples 154 may vary, each staple has a generallysimilar shape. With reference to FIGS. 17 a and 17 b, the staple 154 amay have a generally flat side profile and a tip 160 tapering to apoint. In an unused state, each staple 154 comprises a base 156 fromwhich two prongs 158 extend generally orthogonal to the base and thesharpened tip 160 is formed at an end of each prong configured to piercethe bag 122. For example, such tip 160 may include two angled sides(e.g., FIG. 17 b) or a single angled side (e.g., FIG. 17 e) with respectto a side of the staple. Additionally a barb 162 may be formed on eachprong 158 such that the barbs face each other on an interior side of thestaple. In one exemplary embodiment, the staples 154 are made from apolymeric material such as nylon or other plastics, but the staples mayalso be composed of metal.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided forenclosing a bag having a pressed bale positioned therein, the methodcomprising folding the opening of the bag so that sections of the bagnear the opening overlap, and using a stapler to discharge a staple intothe overlapped sections of the opening. Preferably, the staple has anelongated prong and at least one barb on the prong to hook theoverlapped sections of the bag and/or the pressed bale. More preferably,the staple has a base and two elongated prongs each with at least onebarb for hooking the overlapped sections of the bag and/or the pressedbale. In one embodiment, the stapling may be performed automatically asdisclosed with reference to FIGS. 16D-16K or it may be done manuallywith a handheld or manually operated stapling gun.

With reference again to FIG. 1, after the bale is bagged and stapled, itis further pushed by the stuffing assembly 120 towards the exit end wall16 to a lowering elevator (shown schematically only in FIG. 11). Forexample, the end wall may have an opening sized to permit the baggedbale to exit the bagging assembly. In one embodiment, the loweringelevator comprises a platform pivotably mounted to the housing. Theplatform further comprises one or more rollers to facilitate placementof the bagged bale thereon when pushed by the stuffing assembly. Tolower the bagged bale from the elevated position so it can then beprocessed or shipped, two or more actuated cylinders are used to pivotthe platform so that an edge of the platform located away from thehousing is pivot downward to lower the bagged bale. A conveyor system, apalette, or other movable means may be used to then move the bagged baleaway from the housing for further processing.

Referring now to FIGS. 18 and 19, an alternative chute 230 forfacilitating insertion of a strapped bale into a bag for bagging thebale are shown. The alternative chute 230 may be used with the baggingassembly 10 of the present invention, for example, as a replacement forthe chute 122 shown and described elsewhere herein. In one embodiment,the alternative chute or simply “chute 230” is singularly formed from arolled metal sheet or plate 240. For example, the metal sheet or platemay be cut along various seams with pre-configured contours so thatafter the cut sheet or plate is rolled, it produces a chute comprising aflared receiving end 232 and a low profile exit end 234.

In a particular embodiment, the chute 230 comprises a continuouslyformed center section 236 and two side sections 238 formed by bendingthe sheet or plate 240 along two seams 242. The sheet or plate 240 alsoincludes a plurality of cuts or notches 244 for forming flared sectionsof the flared receiving end 232 to facilitate alignment and reception ofthe strapped bale. The two side sections 238 may additionally functionas mounting flanges by incorporating a bolt pattern 246 for mountingonto a bracket that is in turn mounted to a drive system for traversingthe chute between a home position (FIG. 5) and a used or stuffingposition (FIG. 4). The chute is preferably arranged similar to a U shapewith the open channel of the U facing up and the continuous centersection of the U facing down.

Referring specifically to FIG. 18, the two side sections 238 areprovided with rounded corners 246 that tapered or inclined along a sideedge 248 to an apex 250. The apex 250 is located on a section of theside wall 238 that is flared radially outwardly. The flared section ofthe side wall allows the chute to push a bag outwardly for easierinsertion of the strapped bale. The flared section also creates a spaceor gap between the bag and the chute to further allow air to be purgedfrom the interior cavity of the bag as the bale is pushed therein.

With reference to FIGS. 18 and 19 and also to FIGS. 12-14A for adescription on the use of the alternative chute 230, the chute 230 isdesigned to operate with the upper and lower bagging assemblies 90, 92to arrange a bag over the chute. As previously discussed, after thegrippers 205, 206 on the upper and lower bagging assemblies 90, 92 gripthe opening of the bag and expand the opening, the chute 230 isprogrammed to move into the bag with the grippers continuing to hold thebag open with the bag moving over a stationary chute contemplated. In apreferred embodiment, chute 230 is inserted into the bag and stops atabout a point where the perimeter of the bag is at the transition orinterface near the apex 250 of the flared section. This allows thestrapped bale to contact the flared section of the chute before cominginto contact with the bag, which reduces possible snaring. In anotherembodiment, due to the manner in which the chute is mounted to a movablebracket, the chute is configured to be inserted until the left boltpattern 252 come in contact with the bag. The remaining steps forcompleting the bagging and stapling cycles may be repeated as discussedabove.

Referring again to FIGS. 18 and 19, the chute 230 may be viewed as aninsertion chute. As bales are more uniformly pressed and strapped insome markets, it is useful to simplify a bagging system by using a chutethat is no more than a tray or a bale support with little or no verticalsides to facilitate inserting the bale into a bag, which is alsoavailable in bulk with consistent size. Thus, a complex chute is notrequired to accommodate varying bale sizes. Instead, a tray may be usedto simply get an end of a bale into an open end of the bag wherein thebale comprises a support structure having a center section forsupporting a pressed bale and two side walls extending upwardlytherefrom.

In another embodiment, a bag may be pulled over a bale located on aninsertion tray while keeping the tray and the bale stationary. Asanother alternative, both the bag and the combination tray and bale maybe moved in unison during the bagging process. The bag only needs to bebig enough to allow the bale to slip into the open end of the bag.Alternatively, the bag may be made of a material that allows it tostretch a needed amount to accommodate the bale. The insertion trayallows for a smaller cross section to be initially started into the bagto open the bag, thus reducing hang ups or snagging of the bag on thetray as the mechanism is inserted into the bag. The insertion trayallows for simplified mechanics which is desirable. Because the verticalsides are not substantially needed for bagging purposes, they can beshaped to aid placing a bag over the chute if desired. Such as a leadingedge that has soft, broad contours. If side walls are employed andbecause they are fixed in nature with only material flexibility,identification stickers or placards may be placed thereon to betransferred to the bag before the chute is removed. Because the chuteside will substantially be placed in the same location repeatedly everycycle, if desired, automatic marking equipment can be employed withsimplified mechanisms.

Although limited bagging assembly embodiments have been specificallydescribed and illustrated, many modifications, combinations, andvariations of the embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in theart. For example, the dimensions and positioning of the componentswithin the housing may be modified to achieve their intended purpose.Further, although the bagging assembly is intended to run continuouslyand operate on multiple bags and/or bales simultaneously, the baggingassembly may operate on a single bag and bale and, to the extentpossible, may prepare the bag to receive the bale and prepare the baleto be inserted into the bag sequentially rather than simultaneously.Accordingly, it is to be understood that the bagging assemblyconstructed according to principles of this invention may be embodiedother than as specifically described herein. The invention is alsodefined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bagging assembly for bagging a pressed balecomprising: a frame having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinallength between the first end and the second end; a bale stuffingassembly comprising a projection having an end to push a pressed baleinto a bag; said bale stuffing assembly being arranged on the frame andmovable along the longitudinal length of the frame; a retrieval assemblyfor retrieving a bag; a bag positioning assembly comprising at least twoarms for opening an end of a bag, the at least two arms arranged to bemovable away from one another; a gripper for gripping a bag; and a chutehaving a length, two side walls defining a space therebetween andnon-continuous along a radial direction relative to the length, andwherein the chute is sized to be positioned inside a bag.
 2. The baggingassembly of claim 1, further comprising a bale transfer assemblycomprising at least one of a conveyor system, a motorized vehicle, and ahand truck for delivering a pressed bale to the chute.
 3. The baggingassembly of claim 1, wherein the retrieval assembly is at least one of aplate with a vacuum source, a pickup head on a Cartesian coordinaterobot, and a robot arm with an end effector.
 4. The bagging assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the two arms of the bag positioning assembly aremounted on at least one rotatable guide rod so that the two arms aretranslatable along the longitudinal length of the frame and arerotatable from a first orientation to a second orientation about the atleast one rotatable guide rod.
 5. The bagging assembly of claim 1,wherein the gripper comprises two elongated fingers that are pivotableto grip a bag therebetween.
 6. The bagging assembly of claim 1, whereinthe space between the two side walls of the chute increases when apressed bale is received therein.
 7. A bagging assembly for bagging apressed bale comprising: a frame structure having a first end, a secondend, and a longitudinal length measured therebetween that is generallyparallel to a foundation when the bagging assembly is positioned forservice; a chute having a receiving end for facilitating insertion of apressed bale into a bag and wherein the chute is mounted to the framesuch that the receiving end is movable between the first end and thesecond end along the longitudinal length of the frame; said chutecomprising two spaced apart side sections having a gap therebetween topermit relative movement between the two spaced apart side sections; astuffing assembly for stuffing a pressed bale through the chute and intoa bag; a bag positioning assembly comprising an arm, which is spacedfrom the chute, for opening an end of a bag; and a gripper with asurface, which is spaced from the arm of the bag positioning assembly,for gripping and moving a bag over the two spaced apart side sections ofthe chute.
 8. The bagging assembly of claim 7, wherein the chute furthercomprises a center section disposed between the two spaced apart sidesections defining a generally U-shape cross-section.
 9. The baggingassembly of claim 7, further comprising flared sections at the receivingend that extend radially away from one another.
 10. The bagging assemblyof claim 7, wherein the bag positioning assembly further comprises asecond arm and wherein the second arm and the arm are translatablebetween the first end and the second end of the frame and are rotatablefrom a first direction to a second direction.
 11. The bagging assemblyof claim 7, wherein the stuffing assembly comprises a projection forstuffing a pressed bale between the two side sections of the chute. 12.The bagging assembly of claim 7, wherein the gripper comprises twopivotable fingers that are pivotable to grip a bag therebetween.
 13. Thebagging assembly of claim 11, wherein the chute is movable towards thestuffing assembly while the stuffing assembly is stationary.
 14. Abagging assembly for bagging a pressed bale comprising: a framestructure having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal lengthmeasured therebetween that is generally parallel to a foundation whenthe bagging assembly is positioned for service; a chute having areceiving end for facilitating insertion of a pressed bale into a bagand wherein the chute is mounted to the frame such that the receivingend; said chute comprising two spaced apart side sections having a gaptherebetween; a stuffing assembly for stuffing a pressed bale throughthe chute and into a bag; a bag positioning assembly comprising an arm,which is spaced from the chute, for opening an end of a bag; a grippercomprising two movable surfaces, which is spaced from the arm of the bagpositioning assembly, for gripping a bag in between the two movablesurfaces and move the bag over the two spaced apart side sections of thechute; wherein said chute is movable between the first end and thesecond end along the longitudinal length of the frame to provideclearance for a pressed bale and said stuffing assembly is movablebetween the first end and the second end along the longitudinal lengthof the frame.